Improvement in metallic cartridges



W. WILLS.

Cartridge. 7 No. 45,292. Patented Nov. 29, 1864.

ATENT FFIon.

WM. 11. WILLS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN METALLIC CARTRIDGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 45,292, dated November29, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, -WILLIAM H. WILLs, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in Metallic Oartridges, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanyingdrawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view of my improved cartridge. Fig. 2 is a central verticalsection through the cartridge-case. Fig. 3 is a view of the screw'capdetached.

A great objection to that class of firearms in which a metalliccartridge is employed arises from the difficulty of obtaining thesecartridges in wild and unsettled portions of the country, therebyrendering it necessary for sportsmen and others using such arms to carrya very large number of cartridges with them, which are quite expensive,and, on account of their weight and bulk. are inconvenient to transportfrom place to place.

My invention, which is designed more parlicularly lor sportsmen, has forits object to remedy this inconvenience, and consists in a cartridge, inwhich, after being fired, the empty case may be recharged with greatfacility an indefinite number of times by the person using it, therebyrendering it necessary to have only a small number of cartridges, as thematerials to recharge the empty cases are to be found where it isimpossible to obtain metallic cartridges ready charged, my inventionbeing applicable to that class of lire-arms in which a central rod orplunger is used to discharge the cartridge.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention,I will proceed to describe themanner in which I have carried it out. I

In the said drawings, A is the cartridgecase, which is made of brass orother suitable metal, and of such thickness as to withstand the force ofthe discharge without injury. At the rear end of this case is formed atube or nipple, b, for the reception of a percussioncap, 0, and throughthis nipple is formed a passage communicating with the interior of thecase. At the heel or base of the case A is formed a screw-thread, overwhich fits the screw-cap B, Fig. 3, which is furnished at its base witha flange, d, which enters the groove at the rear of the barrel of thegun, and by which the empty cartridge-case is ejected in the ordinarymanner. Through the base of this screw-cap B, which is made quite thick,is formed an aperture, 0, through which projects the percussion-cap c,the top of which is flush with the base of the cap B when the latter isscrewed down tightly in place. This aperture e is made slightly conicalto correspond to the form of the percussion-cap on the nipple, and is ofsuch a size as to protect the percussion-cap and prevent it from beingdisplaced.

The ball 0 is made to fit into the open end of the case A with asufficient degree of friction to hold it in place and prevent itsfalling out.

It will thus be seen that when a person is about to visit anunsettled'portion of country it is only necessary for him to take asmall number of these cartridges, (fifty or thereabout,) as after theyare fired it is simply necessary to fill the case A with powder andforce in the ball 0. The screw'cap B is then removed and a freshpercussion-cap placed on the nipple b, when the screw-cap is replacedand the cartridge is again ready for use, no wad or other contrivance,except the screw-cap, being required to hold the percussion-cap inplace; and all danger is avoided of the supply of cartridges beingexhausted, an event not unlikely to happen when the ordinary metalliccartridge is employed.

Iam aware that a metallic cartridge has been constructed with a tube ornipple at its base for the reception of a percussion-cap which was heldin place and protected by means of a disk or wad of paper, leather, orwood, as in the patent granted to G. W. Morse on the 28th October, 1856.I do not, therefore, broadly claim a cartridge having a nipple for thereception of a percussion-cap, but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- Covering the heel of the cartridge-case A by a metallic screw-cap,B, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM H. WILLS.

Witnesses:

P. E. TESOHEMAGHER, N. W. STEARNS.

